Selling any sort of property is stressful – and selling a family home is the stress of selling any other sort of property, times by one hundred. The thing is you don’t only have yourself and your own belongings to think about, but you also have to consider your kids, their feelings – and making sure they get all of their stuff packed up too. On top of that you have estate agents, the move itself, the legal side of things, and of course the buying and getting ready of a new property for you all to move into! Although it might seem like a minefield at the time, there are in fact some ways that you can make the sale of your family home less stressful for both the parents and the little ones.
Try Moving at the Right Time
Moving at the right time can be the difference between all of you being stressed, and none of you being stressed. If you also opt to sell at the right time of year, your home is more likely to be taken off the market – but if not you can always look into the possibility of using a cash house buyer.
Famously, the best time of year to sell your home is in the spring/summer, because this is the time most people are eager to move on and start out at a new place. The good thing about this, is in relation to the kids, the summer is probably the best time to move too – talk about a happy coincidence.
It goes without saying that this is better for your little ones because it’s not directly in the middle of the school year, and it gives them the six week holiday to readjust to where they’re living. Likewise, if they do have to move schools because you’re chosen to relocate, it means they don’t have to leave at the end of the school year, and therefore they’ll get to start afresh with all of the other kids in September.
Declutter in Advance
Make the move itself less stressful by decluttering well in advance – and even make it a family affair!
Make a rota of all of the rooms, from most to least important and put aside a couple of afternoons a week (if you can) as a family to declutter each room. Even if you find it easier to do it while your kids are at school and out from under your feet, at the very least get them involved in decluttering their own rooms – this cuts out the risk of you getting rid of anything they want to keep and having a tantrum!
It’s very easy to get sentimental and lazy when decluttering it, but the two things you need to be are realistic, and practical. Try separating all of your clutter into three different piles:
- Clutter that is clutter. Straight to the skip for this pile!
- Clutter that’s no good to you, but could easily be upcycled or donated to the local charity shop. After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
- Clutter that isn’t clutter at all, it’s just that you’ve just got nowhere good to store it. Put this in a box ready for moving, and ensure you find somewhere better to store it at your new place!
Decluttering will save you not only a lot of time when you’re packing, but will ensure that you’re not taking any rubbish with you to your new house. After all, it’s all about fresh starts, right?
Be Honest and Highlight the Positives
Last of all, always be honest with your kids. Even if they’re not keen on the idea of moving initially, telling them white lies and covering things up in order to wrap them in cotton wool will only cause you more issues in the long run.
Of course, they’ll be worried about change – but you can’t deny to them the fact that it will be different. Simply highlight the fact that the differences will be positive.
It’s not that they’re leaving their old life behind – they’re just simply expanding their horizons. Maybe this new house has a bigger garden, or more children living in the area – and if this is the case, make sure you remind them of that! There has to be a reason behind why you’re moving the family to this new home, so highlight the good ones. The more positive you are, the more positive they will be.
